Reality
by HeroInTraining
Summary: Reality is a typical girl living in Brooklyn-until she recieves powers on an ill-fated space flight. Now the bad guys want to get rid of her. Some more so than others... Character torture/death.
1. Exploration

**Reality **

**Exploration**

_Cough cough._ I stare in horror at the floor where my excretions land. Still, after all this time, my insides are all screwed up. Excess blood dribbles down my chin, staining my already bloody costume. Maybe Doom plans on finishing the DNA transplants today. One can hope. Then Doom walks in carrying a tray holding a needle and the powerful drugs they use to cloud my mind so I can't concentrate, dashing my hopes. If I cannot concentrate, I can't use my powers, which means I can't plan an escape. Doom seems to move in slo-mo, filling the needle with the drugs and wiping a spot blood-free on my arm. With the powerful drugs in my body, there is nothing left to do but think. Think and remember times when Doctor Doom had no interest in me. Think back to a time where my biggest problem was what experiment Reed was going to make me be the guinea pig of. I remember…

Life as I know it began when I was left on the Storm's doorstep as a young child, too young to remember much. Little Susan opened the door and found a terrified child on the doorstep. The Storm family unofficially adopted me. As I grew older I attached myself to Johnny. I have no clue why. When I had temper tantrums he calmed me down, and when I was sick, he took care of me. He became more of a father than the man who was supposed to be. He loved me and would do anything for me. Sue was the perfect sister, the person that would listen to my venting about disagreements with teachers and so-called "friends" teasing me about stuff. Even Reed is considered part of the family, though his and Sue's wedding is planned for late June.

When Dad was sent to prison under the false accusations of murdering a man, Sue was the one to take care of Johnny and I the best she could. When Sue won a scholarship to a prodigious college, Johnny found a job and let me go to my choice of a school in the area. Being the kid I was, I picked the one I thought looked the prettiest, so we moved from our modest home in Brooklyn to a rented apartment and made the proper arrangements. As a five-year-old, the whole prospect of moving was terribly exciting.

Sue met her future husband Reed Richards in college. The two nerds graduated early with honors. Sue and Reed found high-paying jobs as scientists soon after. Reed was hired to take a ship out to space to fix a satellite orbiting Mars. Sue convinced him to bring me along, knowing that Johnny wouldn't go if I was left behind, and he was needed as a pilot. Besides, where would I stay? We had no living relatives to look after me or anybody willing to look after a nine-year-old girl. Even if Reed disapproved, I still would have had to tag along. A few weeks before the end of fourth grade, my life truly began. Though now I tend to think of it as a deceiving hellhole, making it sound like tons of fun with lots of publicity and glamor. I was so wrong.

The journey started out with everything working perfectly. Thrilled with the whole adventure, I waltzed around the ship admiring the sheer awesomeness of being in space. It would make the perfect topic for the writing exams we had to take the year after. A few days in, Reed detected an anomaly somewhere close by. The anomaly turned out to be a cosmic storm, something almost completely unheard of. Unable to turn back, the steamy orange clouds hit us at full force. The storm carried us back to Earth and spit us out, rendering us unconscious for days before we were found.

I woke up in a strange room, nothing at all like the room I shared with Johnny in our apartment. Many tubes poked out of my skin and lead to heart monitors and other high-tech machinery. I felt surprised that Johnny wasn't there watching over me. My whole life, whenever I had to stay in bed, Johnny stayed with me. Since our beds were in the same room in the apartment, he would just talk with me until I fell asleep. The absence of my overprotective brother made the situation weird right from the start. Right away I could tell something was off. Yanking the tubes out of me, I stumbled out of the room trying to find Sue, the only person who has any idea what's going on involving us. She would know why we were in a medical center in God-knew-where. I found my family talking with a tall African-American man and an official-looking woman, both in military uniforms. Reed and Sue were wearing fancy clothing while Johnny wore nothing but a pair of sweats.

"-abnormal abilities, abilities none of us could have on our own. Sue can… invisible, Johnny can burst into …, and I can extend… what the laws of physics say are humanly…" Reed was saying.

I decided this conversation was worthy of my attention and snuck inside the room, making everything far easier to hear. They were too absorbed in their discussion to notice me standing in the doorway. Johnny looked unusually red and Reed had stress marks around his eyes. Sue just stared intently at the odd duo. Now it was the African's turn to speak. "What about the girl?"

"You mean Nikki? She hasn't come out of unconsciousness yet, Colonel. She's very young, so her body is probably having an extremely difficult time trying to rework itself," Sue explained.

I just had to clank my hand against the metal wall, drawing attention to myself. Giving up on staying unnoticed, I walked over to them. "What about me?" I wondered. "Who're you? What're you guys talking about? And why do you look so freaked out?"

"Weird stuff's been happening. I've discovered natural Jacuzzis," Johnny explained, answering only some of my questions. He demonstrated by snapping his fingers, creating a small candle flame.

I stared at the tiny flame in fascination. "You have powers? Cool!" I shrieked in excitement. I was super excited to learn that he could be someone from my favorite comic book series. Now that was something to brag about. How many people could claim their brother had superpowers? Not only that, but Sue's head turned invisible for a minute. Not just my brother, but my sister too? That definitely deserved bragging rights.

"Correction, Nikki. We already displayed abnormalities. You haven't," Reed said.

"He means we know we can do special things because we've already proven we can. You just woke up, so for all we know the storm didn't change you at all." Johnny changed Reed's explanation to words in my rather small vocabulary.

"Oh," I mumbled, my excitement draining away. Now my family had powers and I didn't. Typical. When I started combing my fingers through my hair to pull my bangs back, a nervous habit, my audience gasped.

"Nikki, do that again," Johnny whispered. He looked shocked for some reason.

"Do what?" I asked. All I did was pull my fingers through my close-cropped chocolate brown hair. I reached up towards my head but instead of feeling my hair, I felt nothing but air. How could I feel nothing but still have something running over my scalp? "Wow," I muttered when I let my hand fall. What felt like air turned out to be a shimmering pale pink hairbrush. It flickered a time or two, then disappeared completely. During the few seconds the brush existed, my energy started draining away, like I just played tag without stopping for breath in gym.

Reed stared curiously at the spot the brush disappeared from. "I imagine she just displayed her abilities," he told the Colonel.

o8o

Over the next few days, we were forced to stay at the rehab center to make sure nothing was wrong on the inside. Even though Sue told me not to, I practiced using my powers when nobody was around. No matter how hard I tried, I could not make an object bigger than a teapot and even then, only when I was feeling angry. I also discovered a limitation: my powers wouldn't work unless I sketched the object in the air. Call it weird or a product of my personality. Still, it was insanely cool. When we were discharged, Reed offered us a place to stay in a building he received from his boss. He tried to sound official by pretending to want to have tests taken, but I saw through his facade. He loved Sue and figured he should treat her family as such.

"So this is our new home," I said. "This is tons better than our old one." By old home, I meant the apartment. It became kind of crowded during the colder months, when I could not go outside. My eyes feasted on the various things that I had no idea what they were but still seemed important. I followed Reed into the elevator. The elevator dinged when we reached our destination, the 25 floor. Reed led us to a separate wing of the floor and pointed out several rooms.

"Take your pick," he told us. He gestured to the rooms.

I ran into what I deemed the largest. "Dibs on this one!" It was already furnished with a double bed, coffee table, coach, TV, and desk set.

"Who says you get the biggest room?" Johnny asked, laughing. He ruffled my hair playfully.

I broke free of Johnny's grasp and flopped on the bed. A poster here, a painting there, and the room would be the Nikki-Cave. I wanted to start decorating right away, but I figured Reed wanted to start the tests before he got distracted by world hunger or whatever. I was proven correct barely an hour later. I had been doodling on a piece of paper when Johnny's head peaked around the closed door.

"Nikki, Reed needs us," he informed me. He led me to the lab, a huge area taking up almost an entire floor.

"Someone's feeling mad sciencey," I commented when Reed came out of his office wearing a stained lab coat.

We followed him to a lab station as he said, "Not a mad scientist, just a curious man testing your new abilities."

"You know that was a joke, right?" I asked him as he began his extensive run-throughs.

Reed began by locking Johnny in a fireproof metal box. At his command, Johnny burst into flame. When he would not stop burning despite our warnings, Reed's built in fire extinguishers kicked in and sprayed Johnny with white foam. Johnny has always been one to do whatever he wants, not caring about the consequences. I couldn't keep myself from laughing my head off. He looked ridiculous. I whipped out my iPod and began snapping pictures. Definitely Internet material.

Next he examined Sue, ordering her to turn invisible. He studied her molecules, trying to determine just how powerful she was and how her powers worked. He also made her try to project her invisibility, which did not turn out well. She ended up accidently slamming us through a table and into a wall. None of us expected her to have so little control. As always, we paid for our mistake the hard way. Why it always has to end in pain, I have no idea. It just does.

I was tested last. Reed was worried most about me because I was so young and my body could suddenly fail me at any time. My heart might unexpectedly stop beating or my brain might stop issuing commands. Towards the end I attempted making more objects with my powers, but all the previous tests prevented me from doing so. I actually fell asleep in a chair while waiting for orders. Johnny must have found that pretty funny, because I woke up to him laughing. Sue and Reed were trying to contain their giggles as well. I should have figured karma would happen. It always does, especially with my luck.

o8o

A groan escaped my lips as I sank into my cozy bed a week later after a day of Reed finding out what makes me tick. Reed found my powers the most interesting, so he did more tests on me than everybody else. I could barely hold objects for ten seconds without feeling drained, so Reed made me strain myself by making them last longer. So far Reed only figured out what I was doing. I thought I was actually creating light, but he discovered I made the atoms in the air burst, making it look like sparkling light. My power is to control those atoms, bringing them to life through drawings. According to Reed I have the potential to do much more than simple light fixtures. He thinks I can mess with atoms that make up objects just by sketching more detailed images. Johnny said that meant I could make things explode or manipulate them. From a science point of view, I could understand why Reed was mostly interested in me, but from mine, it bored me to death. Seemingly endless tests were not my idea of fun, even with Johnny trying to make it bearable. Not even spinney chairs, an endless source of entertainment, could help.

I thought I was exhausted, but I imagined how Sue would feel in the morning. She opted to stay up late working on a surprise. The next morning Sue told me I would be going back to school as soon as I could keep my powers under control, but that plan quickly failed. We were riding in a cab crossing the Brooklyn Bridge when traffic suddenly stopped. Reed had to talk with Victor von Doom, the one other man who received magnetic powers on our ill-fated space flight. Creepy name for a creepy dude.

"Come on, come on, I'm on a schedule," the man up front muttered to the windshield.

Screams erupted before the man could continue complaining. A fire truck had been hit by another car and slid halfway off the side of the bridge. The car that had hit the truck swerved out of control and hit even more cars, causing the traffic jam. Somehow a fire started and threatened to blow up the vehicles nearby. The scene caused us to pause as the driver almost drove the taxi off the bridge while trying to avoid a car that suddenly became immobile.

"Reed, here's the real-life situation you've been waiting for," Sue said. She pushed Reed out of the seat and yanked Johnny out in one swift motion. "Nikki, are you coming or not?"

"Heck yeah!" I exclaimed, climbing out of the car and rushing to the downed truck. I stopped so I could observe what vehicle needed help the most.

"Johnny, try to stop the fires!" Reed shouted, taking control of the situation. "Sue, assist the bystanders! Nikki, help me lift this truck back on the road!"

Sue and Johnny hurriedly began their jobs. I ran to Reed, anxious to help the fire fighters stranded in the truck. "I know what to do!" I called. He stretched out to rescue the firemen holding on for their lives from the back of the truck. I drew a wall to push against the automobile. I made the glittering wall pull back towards me by adding ropes tied to beams above the bridge. I started to sweat with the effort, but I held it in place. Reed saved the last fire fighter and gently set him down on the bridge. The truck that had almost fallen a second ago now rested safely on the pavement.

"Now, even I have to admit that was phenomenal," Reed laughed. He looked just as exhausted as I felt.

"Nikki!" Johnny cried. He ran over and grasped me in a tight hug. "How does it feel to save your first life?"

"Awesome," I answered, beaming. Before we could move, the police that had arrived to help pulled out their guns. Some of the crowd tried to convince them we were heroes, but they took aim and fired. I was terrified a bullet would end our career before it could begin, but Sue created a force field that prevented the bullets from hitting us. We sprinted to the end of the bridge and hid behind a car. I couldn't catch my breath. Then Johnny said it was safe to leave and hotwired a car. When we arrived at the Baxter Building, our home, the media covered almost the entire street. A large white tent was set up near the door. We fought our way through the crowd to the tent. It was so crowded we could barely open the car doors. Chairs, tables, and televisions were set up inside the tent. Colonel Williams stood outside, waiting for us to arrive.

"Richards, you need to see this," he barked at Reed as a greeting.

We followed him to a TV, where our rescue was being showed on the news. They must have been showing it live and were replaying it. The camera switched from Sue escorting civilians, Johnny protecting a little girl from a fiery death, and the fire truck incident. When the broadcast finished, Colonel Williams switched off the TV and glared angrily at us.

"I won't pretend to understand what happened to you, Richards, but-"

Johnny walked outside before he could continue scolding us. He started answering some of the reporter's questions. He also loves publicity as much as he loves girls, which is saying a lot. Every other weekend he brought a girl home with him. I'm willing to bet by the time I'm 20 I'll have hundreds, if not thousands, of nieces and nephews running around New York.

"What might your codename be?"

"The Human Torch, but the ladies can call me Torch," he smiled into the microphone. Figures he wanted to appeal to the female part of the population.

"What about your seeming leader, the world-known scientist Reed Richards?"

"Mr. Fantastic, or my personal favorite, Stretcho."

"And what about the two others?"

"The blond is pretty obvious. The Invisible Girl. The brunette is… hmm, I don't know. She could be a lot of things."

By then, I stormed out of the tent and pushed Johnny out of the way. "FYI, its Invisible Woman, not Girl! And my name is Reality!" I screamed in the reporter's face. Johnny followed me inside the building when I finished. Or rather, I dragged him in by force. Only when we entered the elevator did I release my tight grip on his forearm.

"What were you thinking?" Sue spat out when the doors closed.

"Hey, this has the potential to be insanely cool. Might as well take advantage of it," he defended himself. They argued the whole ride up. When we stepped out of the elevator, I had had enough.

"Johnny, you know we're mad, so admit you did something wrong. Sue, let it go. Fighting doesn't help us, especially if we have to stay inside for a while. If you don't mind, I'm going to my room." I stomped into my living space and shut the door. Exhausted, I fell asleep at my desk.

Sue interrupted my doing nothing to tell me I would be going back to school the next day. "Your education is just as important as heroics," she reminded me, seemingly recovered from the argument.

Johnny woke me up early the following morning to give me enough time for a shower and breakfast. He wanted to drive me to school in replacement of a bus. Luckily for him the Baxter Building is only a twenty-minute drive from the school. He dropped me off in front of the building, waving goodbye as I opened the front door. I hurried down to the first floor where my locker and first class were located. I arrived a bit late so the hallway was empty. I grabbed the things I needed from my over-decorated locker and entered the room. When I did, my classmates broke into applause. "Why are you clapping?" I asked. They could not be that happy to see me return. The space trip coupled with the hospital stay and test taking barely lasted a month and a half. Plus I was never popular to start with.

"You're a celebrity." One of my two best friends, Mandy, pointed at the 50 inch television screen.

I stared in disbelief at the screen. The local news channel was on and displaying footage from our rescue yesterday again.

When the recording was almost finished, I heard the reporter saying, "-and the group dubbing themselves the Fantastic Four has become as popular as the Avengers almost overnight." She then began introducing our codenames while our pictures flashed across the screen. "The Human Torch," Johnny's photo appeared, "Mr. Fantastic," then came Reed's, "The Invisible Woman," Sue's came next, "Reality," my photo was shown last. "They might be the start of a new generation of heroes."

My teacher turned off the TV before the story was completed. "You have a lot of work to make up, Miss Storm," she informed me.

I hurried to my seat and found a pencil, ready to work. I rushed through my reading comprehension packet, my Periodic Table of the Elements quiz, and my math problems. Thankfully since it was nearing the end of the year there was not much work to make up. All I wanted was to go home. At lunch and recess tons of my classmates clustered around me. Even some of the teachers listened in from a distance. They wanted to hear a first-hand account of what happened. By the time the office dismissed parent pick-ups at the end of the day, I was ready to strangle whoever leaked the name Fantastic Four to the press. All day people had been making fun of me, coming up with stupid nicknames. Regular names I could handle. Insults to a name I had spent hours coming up with went too far. Reed was the one to pick me up. Luckily he did not want to talk. I just listened to my music in the backseat. When he finally pulled up to the Baxter Building, I ran inside and bounded up the stairs. My family was in the kitchen doing various activities. Johnny's head came out from behind the refrigerator door, my arrival interrupting his food raid.

"Hey, Nikki. Did your friends recognize you?" he teased.

"Yes, Mandy and Kati recognized me," I answered coldly. "Do you guys know someone came up with a name for us and told the media? On the news they called us the Fantastic Four."

"I'm not going to get angry now, but when I find out who did, I'll give him a piece of my mind." Sue glanced up from her paperwork and shot a look in Johnny's direction. She probably did not want to say some of the things she wanted to say in front of me. "You all have to approve your surprises," she continued. She went to another room and returned carrying a stack of blue material. She passed them out according to size. "Nikki, yours is the smallest one. Reed, Johnny, here's yours."

"Hey, at least it's catchy," Johnny commented on our new name as he left the kitchen.

We each went into separate rooms to change. I discovered the mound was a costume, composed of some new element. In the left corner a noticeable four was attached. I re-entered the kitchen and spun around, showing off every inch of my body. "What'd you think?"

"I personally think we all look fantastic," Reed offered, who had entered the building right before Sue passed out the uniforms. He seemed to direct his comment at Sue.

"Yeah, yeah, we know," Johnny said sarcastically.

"Let's test these babies," I suggested. I led the way to the elevator, pressing the button for the 31 floor; the floor I made into a training area. With Johnny's help we cleared out everything valuable so all that was left was obstacles. Reed was excited to test one of his many training programs we never knew he came up with. We fought for hours. After a quick pizza dinner, I said sleepily, "Good night, peoples." My first day back had been exhausting.

For the last couple weeks of the year I could hardly focus on my work and instead looked forward to several months of using my powers to help mankind. "Schooool's out for summer!" I sang out when I entered the building on the last day of school. The song was and still is a classic. Fourth grade ended sooner than expected, probably because I basically missed the last month of it. But hey, I'll take astronauts over teachers any day of the week.

"So that's why you've been excited all day," Reed joked. Living with Johnny and me softened him up a bit. My fun-loving personality and my brother's carefreeness started rubbing off on him a while ago. "Now that you're out of school, you can help me with some experiments I've had in mind. And before you say anything, they don't involve you."

"I don't think so. I have some things I would like to do right now. Maybe later," I informed him. I hurried away from Reed, heading towards my room. Luckily for me, everybody was too busy to watch the news. If they did, I would surely have been found out and punished. Sue did not want us going out as heroes alone if she could help it. When she puts her mind to something, and she catches you doing something against it, you're screwed. I changed into my jumpsuit, leaving my tank and shorts in a heap on the floor. Sneaking out of the house is no problem, if you know what window to use.

I jumped out the window and lowered myself gently to the sidewalk, landing next to a hot dog stand. Police sirens wailed in the distance. Their timing couldn't have been better. I followed them, floating above the city on an umbrella, Mary Poppins style. The crime was a simple one, a petty theft, nothing too difficult. I went home an hour later, a stop at an ice cream parlor slowing me down. Luckily I snuck along a few dollars for a cone. Hey, who can resist ice cream on a hot summer day?

The rest of the summer melted together. I started fifth grade like any other kid. On the first day Johnny surprised me with a new phone, the kind of phone I will never be able to completely figure out. My teachers let me keep it with me, but only if I promised to remind my family to call only if it was a real emergency. Random texts and prank calls cemented that. I promised and began my last year of elementary school.

o8o

In October, right after trick-or-treat night, Johnny bought plane tickets for us for some country in Africa. He chose Africa because it was someplace we had never been before, and we have been to a lot of places, especially with our new job. He called it a vacation, though it would last a single long weekend. Shortly after we arrived, we caught wind of a villain attacking some village nearby. Little did we know it was the sometimes heroic, sometimes villainous Death Angel. Death Angel is the slightly older sister of the hero Christmas Miracle. As a kid the Angel of Death possessed her. It never left and it only got worse the older she got. Talk about unlucky.

"We're the only ones around here," Johnny explained when I inquired the local hero's whereabouts.

"I thought Photon is supposed to be in Africa," I argued. The Avengers post a few reservists in the countries where few heroes live.

"You and I aren't in the position to question the Avengers," he responded. "We need to show this chic who's boss. Besides, no one can stop the most powerful heroes on the planet!"

"Thanks for the confidence. Let's go out there and kick some angel butt!"

Johnny drove as far as he dared. When we were a mile away, Johnny parked the car in an abandoned parking lot. He opened his door before he removed the keys from the ignition. He bent down and picked up my tall, lean frame as I closed the car door. Before I could ask what he was doing, he cried, "Flame on!" He burst into flame and flew high in the air at the sound of his battle cry. Instinctively I created a skintight protective dome around myself so I wouldn't be burned. Death Angel appeared soon after. "You attack from behind, I'll attack from the air," he instructed.

"Okey dokey," I joked. Johnny set me down far enough away so I wasn't noticed. Johnny flew off, leaving me on my own. I created darts and began lobbing them at Jessie. "Hey! Over here! You with the face!" I shouted, drawing her attention.

She glared at me, easily blocking my darts. "This pest shall be finished with quickly," she spat.

"This pest can defeat you way faster than you can say I can't," I shot back. I switched from darts to spears. She blocked them too, but she didn't expect Johnny to swoop down and blast her with fire.

"Quick! While she's distracted!" he called.

Heeding his advice, I recalled Thor's hammer and aimed for her stomach. If it works for Thor, it works for me. I moved my hand where I wanted the hammer to go. It hit her stomach square on. Death Angel was sent flying through the air. Instead of crashing into some random nearby building, she caught herself. She hovered in the air, her arms outstretched. The pale gold toga draped over her body flapped around in the wind.

"You dared anger the angel of death? Now you shall experience true pain!"

Gulp. "That doesn't sound good," I called out to Johnny, who was trying to get close enough to lob fireballs at her. He nodded, hearing my comment. That was all I saw of his reaction because Jessie used her powers to push us together, then sent us flying through the air. We crashed into a deserted log cabin hard. "Johnny?" I whispered. I groped for his hand, finding it a few inches away from mine.

"I'm right here," he whispered back before we both fell into unconsciousness.

I awoke to find Johnny still out cold. I tried to stand up, prepared to shake him awake. Trying hard not to pass out again, I shook him until he woke up.

"Huh? Why're you shakin' me?" he mumbled sleepily. The fight with Death Angel really took a lot out of us. His eyes slowly opened, then widened he noticed a close-up of my dirty face.

"It's okay. It's just me, Nikki." I tried to speak slowly while keeping my words clear. Way harder than it should have been.

He attempted to sit up, still dazed. "Nikki," he repeated.

My head pounded and my body ached. _Now I know never to let that happen again_, I thought. Superhero lesson number one: don't let yourself get thrown through buildings. "Yeah. Come on. You need to get up. We need to go home. Let's go."

Johnny let me help him up, then picked me up and flew us over the ocean. Every so often we stopped on a random ship for a break. Finally we made it back to America. Exhausted, I collapsed on a nearby bench. We had landed in an unfamiliar park far from home. Hopefully I wouldn't collapse in the middle of a street. I was in no shape for traveling long distances, considering I was literally put through a wall. Not like Johnny was any better. He could hardly stand on his own, much less fly us home. _One day, my stubbornness will be the end of me,_ I sighed mentally. I knew we had to get home somehow, but I had no idea what to do. There was no way I would ask a stranger if I might borrow their cell. They most likely would have because of our status, but we weren't wearing our jumpsuits, just regular clothing. For all they knew, I was some crazy hobo. After some debate, I woke up Johnny and began the long trek back to the Baxter Building.

When we became too tired to walk, I found an abandoned building to rest. It reeked of rats and disintegrating food, but it would suffice. I carefully set Johnny down. I didn't realize that I should have been dead. I passed out as soon as my head hit the dusty floor. A decent rest later, I felt strong enough to use my powers as transportation. I drew the most basic of structure I could think of, a simple box with propellers large enough to hold the two of us. Using my powers in my weakened state drained me more than usual, but I made myself go on, glancing at Johnny's face whenever I felt discouraged. After days of exhausting travel in the same manner, home sweet home appeared. _Thank God, home_, I thought blissfully. I opened the door leading to the ground-floor lobby. Reed and Sue were standing in the center, discussing some trivial thing. When they noticed the newcomers they stopped talking and rushed over.

"Nikki, Johnny, you're back!" Sue cried. She rushed over to hug me, but she stopped when she noticed my grimace of pain and Johnny lagging behind. "What's wrong?"

"Well, long story short, Johnny and I were fighting Death Angel. She beat the crap out of us. Somehow we made it here. We hiked all the way here," I explained.

"Are you hurt? Wait, that was a stupid question. You're limping and bleeding." She reached out for my arm, probably aiming to help me walk.

I shrugged off her concern. "I don't need your help," I mumbled, sounding crueler than necessary. Days of constant pain made my normally small temper flare. I crumpled into her arms before she could walk away, proving that I did require assistance.

o8o

I woke up in less pain than when I fainted. My gaze flitted from posters of Dazzler [my favorite singer/superhero], the Black Eyed Peas [another favorite band], and James Cameron's Avatar [favorite movie] to Johnny's face. He sat in a chair next to my bed. His head lay next to my body, his eyes closed while snoring softly. Seeing his peacefully contented face brought some comfort. Already it felt somewhat normal. Memories from when I was little flashed through my brain. They showed a much younger Johnny sleeping on the floor next to my bed. I had had pneumonia and he insisted on being the one to take care of me. The memories fading away, I shifted my position slowly, in order for him to not wake up, but he did anyway.

"About time you woke up," he fake scolded me. He lifted his head from my bed and stood up.

"How long was I out?" I asked. It felt like weeks, but that could not be possible. Only if I thought as hard as I could I could faintly remember the dreadful ordeal.

"All together, a little more than a week."

"A week? How can that be?"

"Reed says you used most of your energy getting us here. It didn't help that we haven't eaten for a long time and Sue could only force some water down."

I couldn't believe I was out of it for a week. There went my social life. "Well, now that I'm awake, might as well be doing something." I tried to climb out of bed, even though I felt awful.

"Oh no you don't." Johnny prevented me from pulling back the covers. "You need to stay in bed. All you need to worry about is relaxing and eating something. Sue says if you go much longer without food you'll get sick."

"Fine, I'll stay in bed," I succumbed. I sank back into the pillows. Johnny left the room with the news of my awakening after re-covering me with my blankets, limping slightly. Shortly after he returned with Reed and Sue. Sue was carrying a tray filled with an assortment of breakfast foods.

"Nikki, you're awake! It feels like you've been unconscious forever. You need to eat all of this, not eating for over a week isn't good for you," Sue informed me.

"Later I need to test you to find out what happened. But for now, just worry about consuming this and resting," Reed told me.

They left the room when Reed finally managed to drag Sue away from my side. When they left, Johnny plopped down on the chair again to talk.

"You know, you remind me of Dad. He never wanted to lie around in bed when there was something better to do. You're the exact same way."

"Johnny, you amaze me sometimes," I said, my voice barely audible through a mouthful of food. Never before had I felt that hungry. I spoke the truth. Sometimes his connections really didn't make sense.

"I'm serious. You're adopted, but you look just like Mom. I remember staring at old pictures of her after you joined the family and realizing how much you look like her. If I didn't know you were adopted, I would think you are their true child. You're the perfect mix of the best parts of them."

"I change my mind. You don't amaze me, you scare me." I shoved the last forkful of eggs into my mouth and shoved the tray away. "Here, I'm done."

Johnny picked up the tray. "If you feel up to it, your teachers sent over some work for you to do. I'll bring it in."

I spent a few days trapped in bed, only allowed to watch TV, read, and do schoolwork. And, of course, draw. When Reed gave me a clean bill of health, I went back to school. I laughed, socialized, and partied with my classmates as the holidays grew closer. On the day before the start of Christmas break, I told Johnny I would take myself home so I could have some alone time. When we were dismissed I walked over to the track next to the middle school next door. I changed into sneakers, left my backpack on the bleachers, and began running laps. I became completely lost in thought, so I didn't notice the red, white, and blue garbed man leaning against the fence. When I ran past, he coughed to draw my attention. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't see you. Wait a minute, aren't you… Captain America?"

"Yes, I am," he answered. "I presume you are Nikki Storm, codename Reality?"

I just stood there staring, my mouth open wide enough to attract flies. _Real intelligent, Nikki._ "Yes?" I squeaked, my reply sounding like a question.

"Reality, the Avengers have been monitoring you for quite some time. We think you have great potential that is virtually untapped. Ever since your debut you have displayed great power. From what I hear, you also have a winning personality, making you the perfect candidate. We don't offer this chance to just anybody, so you should realize how unique you are."

"What are you saying?"

"What I'm trying to say is we want you to be an Avenger. You're that rare type of person that comes around once in a century. I hope you'll consider it?"

"Consider it? Why would I have to think about joining one of the most powerful and amazing teams in history? Of course I accept!"

"Great. You can come over to the mansion after Christmas. Don't worry about transportation; one of my teammates will pick you up before you have to return to school. Wasp will send you a message confirming the date and time. Welcome to the team, Reality."


	2. Joining the Big Leagues

**Joining the Big Leagues**

"Nikki," I corrected him. "My name is Nikki Storm." We smiled at each other before he walked away. I resumed running laps, still out of breath, waiting for him to leave so I could release my excitement. Oh my God, the legendary Captain America actually smiled at me! After ten minutes, surely enough time for him to get a good distance away, I pushed myself into the air. When birds gazed curiously at a flying human, I finally shouted, "I'm an Avenger! Yes yes yes!" On my way down I drew a trampoline so I wouldn't be smashed when gravity did its thing. I let myself bounce for a moment, the brisk air cooling my sweaty skin. Becoming an Avenger was the best birthday gift I could have ever received. And that's with going into space on the list. Since no one knows my actual birthday, Dad made it the day I was left on their doorstep, December 23. Instead of having a separate party for my birthday and New Year's Eve, we combine them. There is some partying namely by me, but most of the festivities wait until the party. When I felt less sticky, I grabbed my bag and formed a hang glider so I could fly home. Scratch hang gliding off my to-do list.

I touched down on the roof about an hour later, landing with a slight thump. Birds flew away, scared by my sudden approach. "Don't fly away, little birdies," I plead, more concerned with making a joke out of it. A skylight allowed sunlight to pass through, whenever it decided to come out. The windows were just wide enough for a human body to squeeze through. I removed the window I previously loosened, sucking in my already thin stomach in order to fit through the tight space. When my feet hit the floor, I created an extension of my hand to put the windowpane back in place. Feeling too hyper to use the elevator, I never used it much anyway, I bounded down the stairs searching for Sue and Johnny. My backpack bounced against my back, as I had it slung over one shoulder. They were both in the lab talking about things beyond my level of understanding. Or rather, Sue talked about things beyond me. Johnny stared blankly into space. Though it's sad, Johnny's high points are cars and girls. That's about it. "Sue! Johnny! You won't believe what just happened!"

"I give up. What happened?" Johnny asked. He eagerly looked up at my beaming face. He finally found a distraction from Sue's lecture.

"I was running laps at the track after school. Soon after I started Captain America showed up and gave a speech. Here's the best part: at the end, he made me an Avenger!"

"That's fantastic, Nikki!" Sue cried. "That makes you the youngest Avenger to date! And on your birthday, too! You're going to need a new costume. Tell me what you want and I'll make it."

"I'll do that right away. But first, I need a shower and time to take this in. I'll start a design tonight," I told her. I took the elevator to my room, the fatigue from my workout finally making my legs pound. My backpack and smelly clothes on the floor, I found a robe and rushed to the shower.

At the dinner table in between bites of homemade mac n' cheese, my favorite food, I filled Reed in on the details before forcing him to tell me everything he knew about the Avengers. I could Google it anytime I chose, but I would rather hear it from a family member whom I trust than an unknown Internet source. My Design 21 teacher would be proud. He surprisingly knew quite a bit for someone who spent most of his time playing mad scientist. Sue even excused me from doing the dishes so I could listen to Reed prattle on about S.H.I.E.L.D. You know it's an important conversation when Sue excuses you from your chores. When we entered the living room I remembered to ask Reed about the members. "Please, use words that I know," I requested.

"Very well. Might as well start with the founding members," he began. "There are five founding members: Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Ant-Man, and Wasp. Wasp has recently married Ant-Man."

"Cool. Are there any others?"

"Of course; there's Black Panther, Hawkeye, Ms. Marvel, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, and Mockingbird. Those are just the ones that aren't posted in other countries. I'm sure they'll introduce you when they show up."

"You do know I can only remember so much at one time."

"Yes, I remember. Those are just the ones you are bound to meet soon. You must be as powerful as Captain America says you are if they want you to join."

I blushed. "That was a lot to take in," I commented. "Before I hit the sack, I'll show Sue my design." I grabbed the piece of paper off the coffee table and rushed back to the kitchen. Sue was closing the dishwasher door when I entered. "Sue, I have an idea. I have no clue what colors to make it, though."

"Hmm, I'll see what I can do. This shouldn't be too difficult."

"Alright, I'm going to bed. Good night, Reed!" I called into the living room.

"Good night, Nikki! Happy birthday!" Reed called back.

In the elevator I started pulling off my accessories and sweatshirt. When in my room, I found my pajamas, changed, and climbed into bed, the day's events finally catching up to me. The day had been eventful, something I wasn't accustomed to. Boring, ordinary days were the way I liked it. Not like they lasted, anyway.

o8o

On Christmas Eve, Johnny took me snowboarding at some nearby mountain resort. From sunrise to sunset we sped down the mountain. We kept out faces covered with bandanas so nobody would recognize us. I guess it wasn't smart to draw a crowd with our elaborate jumps. With practice they would be the next best thing to flying. Lucky Johnny. We almost blew our cover numerous times. Even though at the end of the day I felt bushed, I still helped Sue hang up the last few decorations. Right after changing into my pajamas, I fell into a peaceful slumber. The next morning I was the first one up. Classic: the kid waking up first and going out of their way to wake up the parents. I bounded into my family's rooms, playing a tambourine set. "Come on, guys! Why sleep when there's a pile of presents for each of us under the tree?"

"Ugh, your tradition continues," Johnny mumbled as he stumbled down the stairs. He was sick of my mini tradition of using different methods of waking them up early each and every Christmas morning. The past few years I started getting creative, but since a lot had changed that year, I decided to use something more traditional.

"Wow, that's a lot of presents," I whispered under my breath when I saw the heaps of gifts under the tree. I quickly plopped down on the floor near the presents and began tossing them to their owners. There was a large amount of clothing, probably to make up for the articles we left in Africa. _I wonder where they got to,_ I thought with a shrug. _Yeah well._ "Sue, you finished it!" I cried out suddenly. I opened a box to find a brand new homemade costume.

"Go try it on, I think you'll like it," she told me with a grin.

I grabbed the box, went into the hallway, and closed the door. My snowflake pajamas fell to the floor as I tugged on the two-piece costume. The bottom was like leggings that covered my feet. The top was a belly shirt with a blood red cape attached. Both the top and bottom were midnight blue. A midnight blue mask that covered the skin around my eyes fell out of the box last. A bit revealing, but I could make it work. I waltzed back to my family spinning around, feeling the cape whooshing around my body.

"Consider it an early birthday present," Johnny said, looking up from a video game box.

"This will definitely work. Thanks, Sue!" When all the presents were unwrapped, the wrapping paper cleaned up, and cinnamon buns rested on our laps, we began what we do every year: Christmas movie marathon. We watched every Christmas movie we owned, and we owned quite a few. At the end of the day, I made sure my bags were packed and piled in the lobby so I would be ready when Tony Stark came for me bright and early. Dawn came quicker than expected. My alarm went off at 7:30, giving me a half-hour to make myself presentable. At 8:00 sharp a shining black limo rolled into the small parking lot in the back of the building. Yawning, I wondered what possessed Mr. Stark to wake a kid that early.

Johnny helped me pile my bags in the trunk as he said, "Nikki, just remember to visit us every once in a while. Be a good little girl. Goodbye!"

I yanked open the car door, eager to escape Johnny's embarrassing comments. "Um, hello, Mr. Stark," I mumbled to Tony Stark when I noticed him sitting in the backseat. A limo ride with Tony Stark? Awesome, but humiliating.

"Please, you're one of the team now. Call me Tony."

So he wanted informality. Huh. Just to shock him, I replied, "Very well, you may address me as Miss Storm. I expect a room prepared upon my arrival, Mr. Stark. Here is a list of all my demands." I held out my open notebook, which just had a bunch of random doodles, certainly not any demands. I struggled not to smile, much less laugh. I could tell Tony had the same problem. He was not expecting a ten-year-old girl to speak so proper. Even I was surprised.

"I shall try to the best of my ability to meet your demands, Miss Storm."

I giggled, unable to hold it in anymore. Tony did too, making me feel less nervous and more ecstatic. One of my few talents: making anyone laugh, provided with the materials and timing. During the ride he filled me in on some last-minute information, such as location and small details Reed neglected to mention. Too many, in my opinion.

"We've arrived, Nikki," Tony interrupted the silence when the car pulled into a long, winding driveway. Golden gates with an intricate cursive "A" protected the driveway and lawn from the cars on the street. A mansion that looked big enough to fit all of Brooklyn took up almost as much space as the lawn. If you know how big Brooklyn is, you know what I'm talking about. "Happy will take your bags to your room. Right now I guess the only thing on your mind is this transaction, so might as well meet the people you'll be living and working with."

Before Tony finished speaking I raced inside the open front door that looked like it was carved with the finest care. I was struck dumb by the majestic room the doors led to. A grand staircase led to a second floor. Hallways branched off to other parts of the building. A great glass dome let in sunlight from the luminescent ball of fire. Everything was sparkling, even the marble floor. Not to mention I felt like the minute I touched something, it would automatically crumble to pieces. I stood gaping, taking in everything all at once. When Tony walked in shortly after me he pulled out some kind of card resembling a credit card and spoke into it. Either the guy was mental or he had access to technology nobody else had.

"Guys, the new member came. Meet us in the foyer," he said before tucking it away in his coat pocket. "Nikki, before I forget, I have a welcoming gift that you can't deny." He pulled out another card from a different pocket and handed it to me.

"What is this?" I wondered. In the upper-left corner my beaming face stared out at me. Adjacent to it the word 'Avenger' glistened bright red. Underneath it read 'Storm, Nikki Janice,' in the same shade.

"That is your ID card. Any time you need assistance touch the photo with your finger and speak into it. Whoever is available will come. Every member has one," he explained.

"Ahh." Just then a woman with long blond hair wearing a black leotard with a yellow lightning bolt, red sash, and black facemask descended the stairs flanked by ten others. After the blond haired woman came Captain America, a powerfully built man dressed like a black animal, a nerdy looking man wearing jeans and a t-shirt, and several couples holding hands. Another blond haired woman with a blue and white costume and yellow goggles held a man dressed entirely in purple's hand. A bow and quiver of arrows was slung around his neck. An African-American man in a yellow shirt and jeans with a belt that said "Cage" trailed close behind a nice looking pink-haired woman holding a baby. The baby's head rested against her bare shoulder, her assemble being white and strapless. Lastly a man dressed entirely in red with a helmet helped what I took was his wife down the stairs. Her black and yellow striped mini-dress and black boots looked like they were made for her.

"Hey, it's the new kid!" the purple clad man called out from the base of the stairs.

"The blonds are Ms. Marvel and Mockingbird," Tony began the introductions.

"Hello," Ms. Marvel greeted me pleasantly.

"You already know Cap," Tony continued. "The purple loudmouth over there is Hawkeye. Standing next to him is the family Cage. Otherwise known as Luke, Jessica, and Danielle. Over there is Ant-Man, Wasp, Black Panther, and Hulk."

When each person's name was called they waved. Wasp rushed up to hug me, shocking me. "Hi, Reality! It'll be so nice to have a kid around. We definitely need the practice." She exchanged a loving glance with her husband Ant-Man.

I took the hint and corrected her with, "Well, congrats. Please, I'm only Reality when I'm wearing the costume. My name is Nikki." Then, just to tease them, I waved my hand over my body to make my new costume appear. Sue made this get-up special by using Reed's unstable molecules, the same element he made our original costumes out of, so I don't have to bother with changing into it. Talk about timesaving.

"So, are you Reality now?" Hawkeye teased.

"Clint, not on her first day!" Jessica Jones scolded him. She lightly slapped him on the back of his head.

"All right, who wants to escort her to her room?" Tony asked, interrupting their playful banter.

After a few seconds, Wasp raised her hand. "I'll show her," she offered quickly.

"Don't worry, you're in good hands," Tony assured me. He gently shoved me towards Wasp, causing me to stumble and almost knock over a bust.

I hesitantly followed her down a hallway while the others went their own ways. It was a lot to take in at one time, so I naturally wanted to let some of the info absorb into the depths of my brain. Windows let in enough sunlight to see without any lamps or anything. Paintings of every Avenger hung on the walls next to various statues of other superheroes. When I grew bored of the silence I asked Wasp, "How's the Avengers life? It's gotta be at least sorta exciting."

"Well, it's hectic, but there's never a dull moment. Tony, Clint, and Carol are always planning epic parties. There are not as many world threats since the Cube breakout, so parties are their favorite way to pass the average Saturday night. You might want to stay away from those."

"Okay. Is there anything else I should know about these epic partiers?"

"For starters, you can call me Janet. Secondly, we finally have a member with a less crude sense of humor than Hawkeye! Thirdly, stay away from Scarlet Witch when she gets angry. Those are the basics. You will learn more the longer you're with us. We should probably start the tour now."

My eyes flitted from side to side, trying to remember each of the rooms. If only they were labeled. After a while they started blending together. The den, arcade, library, and trophy room began to merge in my mind. Janet let me take a break when she introduced me to the kitchen, one of my favorite rooms. The storm that granted us our powers greatly boosted our metabolism, which meant we needed more calories. Their cook made delicious brownies.

"Before I show you your room there's one last place you should see," Wasp informed me after I finished in the kitchen. "You will use this room the most to hone your skills and learn new moves. Follow me."

I clung to her side as she led me to a fancy elevator. I stood completely still in the center causing Wasp to laugh. After a five-minute ride the doors opened to reveal a dimly lit hallway. "This is the place you made so mysterious?" I laughed.

"No, this is the mysterious room," Janet said as she opened the first door on the right with a flourish.

My eyes widened. A huge open space spread out in front of me. But, instead of looking like a regular room, it looked like a battle scene. Lasers aimed at us from the walls. A maze of corridors crossed between lasers. "Why are we playing laser tag?" I wanted to know.

"This is the training room," she answered with a smile. As soon as I shut the door behind me she shrunk and started blasting the lasers and other probably deadly objects that randomly appeared. "Come on, start fighting," she told me.

"Aww. I love laser tag." I was left with no choice as a beam of energy narrowly missed my head. Forced to defend myself, I blasted the obstacles with a BB gun. The lasers exploded when the balls make contact. When all the lasers exploded, the remains pulled back inside the walls and were replaced with disc-shooting things. I quickly destroyed them too.

Janet ended the surprise attack and grew to her regular size. "Good job, you passed the opening exam with flying colors. You will have to do more of these so the others can learn your fighting style. For now, I'll show you to your room."

I followed her out of the room and into the elevator. She hit the button for the third floor. One we reached our destination she led me to a door with a plaque that read "Reality." Fancy. I opened the door to find a richly decorated room. Double fancy. Fancy furnishings and classic paintings turned what was once a plain room into a five star hotel area. A 72-inch plasma-screen TV hung on the wall in between two large windows. One window opened to a balcony with a magnificent view of the New York City skyline. A four-post bed with thin almost see-through curtains and intricate hand-woven sheets rested off to the side. Overstuffed couches and chairs were set up artfully around the room. Two open doors showed a large bathroom and walk-in closet. "All this is for me?" I whispered.

"Yes, I felt the same way when I first saw my room. Tony only allows the best of the best, and he built or imported pretty much everything in this building. Heck, he built a good portion of New York," Janet answered knowingly.

I walked around the room in a trance, touching everything to make sure it was real. _Well, duh! Of course it's real! Why would it not be real?_ Wasp left the room, giving me some privacy, shutting the door behind her. My bags were on the floor in neat piles next to the couch. I discovered some clothes already hung from the bars in the closet, all fancy party dresses. I unpacked my bags, putting my clothes on hangers and my books on the shelves in a corner of the main room. I hung my posters wherever there was free space, even in the bathroom. I have a lot of posters. DVDs and video games went on top of the Blu-Ray player. Finally the room looked every inch Nikki-fied. When I was done I noticed a small refrigerator and counter in another corner. I opened the refrigerator door, surprised to find it fully stocked with kid-friendly snacks. I popped open a soda and propped my feet up on the coffee table, thinking about everything that had happened that day. _You're a very lucky kid, Nikki Storm,_ I thought. Several hours later, I heard a knock on the door. I turned the TV off and opened the door.

"Miss Storm, supper is ready," the old man informed me. He was dressed in a traditional butler's uniform.

"Okay," I responded, following him out of my room. I was tempted to call him Alfred after an old TV show but decided against it. "Who're you?" I asked instead as we walked to the kitchen.

"My name is Edwin Jarvis, and I have been Mr. Stark's butler since he was a boy. Now I serve the Avengers, as well as cook, clean, and do general housework," he explained with a slight British accent. Jarvis was completely into the butler persona. He might have defined the term method acting.

"So the Avengers have a butler. What doesn't this place have?" I was serious. The place seemed to have everything. I trailed behind Jarvis as he neared the kitchen.

"The dining hall is right through these doors. You may take a seat while supper is being served," Jarvis instructed me. He walked off towards the kitchen, leaving me standing alone in front of the closed doors.

I ran after him, deciding that I would help him. "Wait!" I called out. "Do you care if I help? I'm used to mostly fending for myself, so I can't let somebody wait on me. Here, let me take those plates." I picked up two plates off a tray and headed back to the dining room. "Dinner is served," I announced to my fellow Avengers.

"Tony, I thought you hired another superhero, not a housemaid," Clint laughed.

"She can help out if she wants to," Tony defended me.

"If you want me being a superhero more than a maid, don't make a big mess so there's less to clean up," I chided him. As I set his meal in front of him I made a fly swatter hit his head. He was lucky I was too excited to think of anything worse. I sat down at the table last, unable to resist the delectable pork chops resting on the table. Whoever the cook was, he deserved an award.

"Tomorrow you can show us your skills," Captain America told me after a few minutes of silence. "Tonight you can relax in your room, if you want."

The questions they asked mostly centered on me. I answered each one as honestly as I could. "Yes, I got powers from a cosmic storm. No, we're more of a family than you might think. Reed can be a pain in the butt sometimes, but we work really well together. Why would you ask that? I'm only 10! I chose Reality because I make whatever I want come into being, making them real." When we finished I helped Jarvis with the dirty dishes before going back to my room. Shortly after a mini radio popped out of the antique radio underneath the TV and a strange voice spoke.

"Miss Storm, your teammates are having a competition in the electronics room. You may join them if you wish," the female voice informed me.

"Um, okay," I hesitantly said back as it disappeared. I found my way to the previously mentioned room where a Dance Dance Revolution competition was being held. Ms. Marvel and Captain America were dancing to "Just Dance." Lady GaGa's voice poured out of the jumbo-sized speakers. The mats on the floor looked more high-tech than the average mat. Even the disc holder seemed more advanced than what was on the market. Steve Rogers was in the lead by several hundred points. The song ended thirty seconds later with Steve the winner. "Hey, can I join?" I interrupted.

"Sure, you can go against Steve, the unbeatable DDR champion," Carol answered breathlessly. She plopped on a couch shoved off to the side.

We ended up dancing to "Bad" by Michael Jackson, one of the hardest dances on the game. "Unbeatable champion? Looks like the champ was beat by a kid!" I cried victoriously when it ended. I left Steve in the dust early on in the song. "Who wants to test the new winner?"

Everybody tried, but I was only defeated once. T'Challa, Black Panther, only won because he had a higher reaction time than me. The song itself was tricky in the first place. It was "Party Rock Anthem" by LMFAO. Who knew you could shuffle on a dance mat? Anything is possible, I now know that. After a while I retired to my room, exhausted from my first night in Avengers Mansion. Despite the fact that I was sleeping in a new bed in new surroundings, I drifted off quickly.

That night I dreamt some shocking dreams. The first one was about a slightly older woman calling herself Lightshow. In my dream she fought an alien race called Skrulls. Skrulls used their shape-shifting abilities to impersonate Earth's superheroes. They fooled everybody for so long they almost completed their invasion. Hawkeye died preventing their final attempt. It ended with Lightshow crawling out of the ship, trying to return to her husband. When it finished I woke up in a sweat. The dream terrified me, but as I fell back asleep, an even worse dream disturbed my slumber.

My next dream was about World War II. A teenager enrolled in the army when they sent out a request for super-humans. She went through extensive training with Captain America. They both became close friends, and he was like a father figure to her. Freedom Fighter, as the military called her, fought in the war and was injured severely. She raised herself on the streets, so Cap stayed with her every step of the way until the end. She recovered enough to continue fighting, but her injuries came back to haunt her in their final battle with the Red Skull. She could no longer fight the way she used to, and she had to retire from the battle. Freedom Fighter died when the plane crashed into the Atlantic, unlike Cap. My dream ended there, and the rest of the night passed quickly.


	3. Abduction

**Abduction**

All the next day I displayed my skills and honed my abilities in the training area. The only special occurrence that day was the arrival of a fancy envelope. I opened it and discovered a paper announcing the wedding of Reed Richards and Susan Storm. _About time they let the world know. All you have to do is look at their eyes when they look at each other to know how they feel._

"What's that?" Bobbi, Mockingbird, asked. She shortened her staff and leapt onto a ridge on the wall. Never can I do something like that.

"Oh, just a wedding announcement for my sister and her boyfriend," I answered. "It's at the end of June."

"Cool! Are we invited?"

"Yep, it says all your names on the envelope."

Right after I explained everything to Bobbi I resumed my training like nothing happened. I trained all day so Tony and Clint couldn't have me help them with their New Year's Eve party plans. I already knew I was having my party at the Baxter Building. Before I left home Sue warned me about their parties, as she did not want me attending them. Coupled with Wasp's, I realized they weren't joking. The rumors were true. On New Year's Eve Jessica drove me to the Baxter Building. I ran inside past the huge Christmas tree in the lobby and into the decorated elevator. When the doors opened I bounded to Reed's lab where he and Sue spent most of their time. Both Sue and Reed were hunched over a microscope. "Guys, guess whose home!" I called out.

Sue ran over and hugged me. "How is Avengers Mansion?" she asked, keeping her hands on my shoulders.

"You won't be seeing much of me!" I answered. I explained in detail the mansion, the members, receiving the letter, everything. She couldn't believe I beat pretty much everybody at Dance Dance Revolution. When Johnny came home I told him everything too. He chuckled and asked questions when I finished. All day I checked and rechecked my party plans to make sure everything was perfect. That year's party would be our biggest yet, since Johnny had more friends and girls to invite. My guest list was about the same, but I knew everyone would show. Nobody wanted to miss out on the second biggest party of the year. The Avengers always claimed top spot. It can't be helped.

That night we had an epic party. Johnny invited almost every superhero we ever fought with and all our friends. At midnight after the toasts Sue brought out my cake. She ended up using a force field to transport it through the crowd. The thing was huge. We ate it, partied some more, and went to bed soon after.

The next morning I woke up in the bathroom. Half my body was in the tub draped over Iceman. I must have been having one of my famous highs. If I have anything with sugar or caffeine, I end up bouncing off the walls. Cake overload. That must have happened without me knowing it. I quickly cleared the bathroom and tried to help make breakfast. I was both tired and hyper, not the best combo for a kid. After kicking everybody out I cleaned the building, prepared for school the next day, and fell asleep extremely early, around 7:30. The next day at school while waiting for the teacher my ID card fell out of my pocket, interrupting my discussion with Kati about the night before. She lasted longer than me and took some pictures and videos. I quickly picked my card up, but some people saw. Kati stopped talking and stared at my pocket where I stashed my card.

"Nikki, what's that?" she asked.

"Oh, that is my Avengers ID card," I explained. I pulled it out to show her. Kati eagerly grabbed it and held it up to her face. Her almost blindness is a running joke in the group. "Tony gave it to me so I can call for help when I need it. I just put my finger on the picture and speak into it. Each member has one." My teacher summoned us inside her room, forcing me to put my card away. Another day filled with favoritism and Twilight obsessions. Over the course of the day many of my friends asked to see my membership card. Each person seemed extremely curious about my new life. I answered each inquiry, trying not to give away any secrets. It made my brain hurt, watching everything I said. January, as well as the rest of the year, passed as quickly as fifth grade.

Over the summer I assisted my teammates with various activities. Wasp is a fashion designer, so I generated ideas for clothing and accessories. I was a failure with sewing machines, so I stopped there. I also aided Tony with his armor designs and Hulk with his science experiments. Hawkeye gave me archery lessons and Black Panther taught me some new moves. Mockingbird instructed me on athletic activities and staff lessons. Most of the athletic lessons ended with me either pinned against the floor or sent flying at a wall. Ant-Man lent me a hand with my back-to-school languages project. Thor let me have an interesting conversation with him about Asgard, his home. Overall the summer was highly enjoyable.

o8o

The first week of school, after figuring out where each of my classes was in the much, much larger middle school, I introduced my alter ego to my teachers. Not the Avengers one, but the Fantastic Four one. Simply Nikki. The whole reason why I wanted a mask was so I could have some privacy. My sixth grade teachers loved my accomplishments and were thrilled to have me as a student. During Labor Day weekend I was taking a walk in a local park. Reed and Sue were at some science convention for the four day weekend, and Johnny was either at a dirt bike competition or hanging with girls, so I was alone. Before Sue left she called Dad so he could stay with me for the time being.

Suddenly a strange man melted out of the shadows. "How'd you do that?" I asked. Only somebody with powers or extremely advanced technology could do that. Come to think of it, Tony Stark could have done it. I didn't remember any hero I knew having superpowers like that, and I know a lot of heroes. Only Entantress could have any power she chose, but why would she sneak up on me? She was not the type to play tricks. She hardly knew me in the first place. When the shadow man tried to grab my arms I blasted him with a sparkling ball. Every warning everybody told me about strange men with powers flashed through my mind. Before I just scoffed at them, but by then my attitude had changed. New York is a dangerous place to live, even without people with powers. Everybody knows that. The man deflected the ball with ease and grabbed my shoulders, breaking through my barrier.

"Shh," he whispered in my ear when I screamed. "Behave, and you won't be seriously injured."

The guy hit my head hard with something metallic, causing me to black out. Normally I was a fighter, but the man caught me off guard. I woke up probably days later strapped in a chair typically found in a dentist's office. A table covered with scary-looking tools sat next to my chair, just out of my reach. Drills, scissors, and other tools of the like were just the beginning. One window let in some sunlight from the cloudy sky. Only one narrow door provided an exit route. _What is this, the Human Centipede?_ I thought, straining. I tried to break my bonds, already terrified, but one of my worst enemies entered the room. The metal tools vibrated. His green cape swooshing around his ankles, Dr. Doom made a grand entrance.

"Why, hello, my dear Nikki. How nice to see you again," he smirked. Like always, his entire aura radiated power and confidence. God, I hate that guy.

"Doom," I spat angrily. "I know you hate us, but abduction? That's low, even for you." My attempt at humor sounded weak, even to me. My head throbbed where I was hit, and I probably had a concussion, not to mention a large lump.

"Reality, we have plans larger than you can imagine. You will experience extreme pain, but you will endure it all. Your treatment begins now." He walked over to the table with the tools and picked up a needle and a vial. "This is for your own benefit," he stated. Doom filled the needle with a clear, foul-smelling liquid from the vial.

"What are you doing?" I questioned suspiciously. "What is that?"

"This drug will cause your ability to concentrate to wane," he explained, still smirking. "Everything will make sense eventually. For now just let your mind go blank." He injected the fluid into my body slowly.

If what he said held true, then the slight sting of the needle would be the least of my worries. Slowly but surely the drugs traveled through my body, the effects making themselves known almost immediately. A little speck of blood rolled down my arm. Nothing at all like the shots you get at the doctor's office. My ability to concentrate started to drain away. As Doom went back outside the door to speak with a henchman, I struggled to regain my aptitude to think. It kept getting more and more difficult to form even a single word. Sounds of a conversation drifting under the entryway helped me.

"For the last time, I'll explain this to you, Contagion. We will take all of the DNA samples we've stolen from various heroes and splice them with the girl's. Diablo already calculated which strands will be with which, luckily for you. If we put in incompatible DNA, they will destroy each other, using her body for fuel. When we finish, we will brainwash her, and we will have the ultimate killing machine at our disposal."

"Okay. I won't ask again, Doctor. We shall begin as soon as the drugs take full effect."

"Very well. Don't fail me, Contagion." Doom's boots clanking against the metal floor signaled his dismissal. The man he deserted started muttering to himself.

_Oh God, why me? Why would they choose an almost eleven-year-old girl for this disgusting project? What are they doing to me?_ The drugs took full effect, taking away my concentration ability as promised. My thoughts turned into broken strands. I couldn't think a full sentence, even if I wanted to. I most certainly did not want to. Suddenly the man identified as Contagion walked back into the cell, for that is what this dismal room is, prepared to start the splicing process. He picked up a thin flashlight from the table and put the blinding light in front of my eyes, making me squint.

"Hmm, dilated pupils, lack of energy. The drugs have taken full effect. Can you hear me, Nikki?" he asked. Before I could make any indication he began speaking again. "Nikki, I'm going to begin the surgery now. Try not to focus on the pain, maybe it will help. Now I'm going to move you to this table…" He unstrapped the bindings holding me in place and carried me to a lab table somewhere behind me. "This has never been attempted before, so I don't know why Doom wants me to do this. There is a possibility you won't live through this, but I've seen your genetic codes, and I believe you will. If you may, you can relax while I do the surgery."

Right away, from the first incision, I felt intense pain, even more intense than the fight with Death Angel, being hit by lasers, and random bouts of agony combined. Every cut and injection made me bleed buckets, more than my heart could replace. No clue why. Even with the drugs dimming the discomfort, the pain was almost completely unbearable. Already unable to take it, I screamed my head off. Contagion kept on working, ignoring my blood-curling shrieks. When he finished I felt like I was going to be sick. It felt like my DNA was rearranging into some new material unknown to man. Great. Exactly what I needed. To become a science experiment in some sick experiment. The pain subsided a little when he finished. The extreme agony cleared my head somewhat, and to take my mind off what had just happened, I questioned what Doom wanted to do with me. "Why… me?" I choked out, struggling to pronounce each word clearly.

Contagion cleared his throat and glanced around the room. "Doom wants to keep you in the dark, but I think you should know what he's doing to you. Over the past year Doom had his minions take DNA samples from various heroes. For a long time he's been searching for someone strong enough to live through the necessary surgery. After over a year of searching, you came along. Ever since you became a public figure, he's been trying to capture you."

"There are…plenty of…other heroes…stronger than me. Why not…someone like…Captain America or…Thor?" I gasped, each word sounding more garbled than the last. I wouldn't be able to talk much longer.

"No, no, you're thinking of physically stronger people," he laughed. "Though we are testing that, Doom is interested in your mind. While Captain America might be more physically capable, he doesn't have as powerful a mind as you. Your endurance rates are much higher than the average humans', especially for a child. After years of sifting through profiles for every super-human on the planet, we've finally found someone that meets all the requirements. You are extremely powerful the way you are now, but with the powers of other heroes? You'd be almost immortal."

"That's…reassuring." Even in my weakened state I retained enough of my old self to include some sarcasm.

"I must go soon to check on the patients. Before I leave, I need to tell you a few things…"


	4. Release

**Release**

"There, the surgery is done," Contagion told me. He walked over to a piece of paper hanging on the wall and checked off a few items. He left the room.

With my new heightened senses, I could see the paper from across the room. What an improvement. It was a list of all the powers they wanted to give me. Tons of them. There were only a few left to implant, and they were the least important ones. By then my insides were constantly shifting, trying to adjust to the newfound abilities. My body was used to my atom powers, nothing more. Unable to control myself, I retched onto the fairly clean floor. I decided to take a nap, since there was not much to do other than think, and I had done plenty of that since my abduction. My eyelids drooped, and I fell into a sleep-like state.

o8o

My eyelids open after a long break from reality. Sleeping is the only way I can escape, and even then… Cough cough. I stare in horror at the floor where my excretions land. Still, after all this time, my insides are all screwed up. Excess blood dribbles down my chin, staining my already bloody costume. Maybe Doom plans on finishing the DNA transplants today. At least then this torture will stop. Then Doom walks in carrying a tray holding a needle and the powerful drugs, dashing my hopes. Doom seems to move in slow motion, filling the needle with the drugs and wiping a spot blood-free on my arm. With the powerful drugs in my body, there is nothing left to do but think. I decide that after Contagion is done with the transplants, I will try to send out a call for help. I've been saving my energy for a while now for this purpose, as well as communicating telepathically with the other patients. They want out just as bad as I do. The pain dims the effects of the drugs, so maybe I can fight past the lingering effects.

"Nikki, after this surgery, there is only one more to live through," my surgeon informs me. He unstraps the bindings and carries me over to the lab table once again. He begins the operation by making an injection.

By now I am accustomed to the pain, so I don't scream as loud as I did the first few times. Scary, how one can become used to pain. Remembering the chart, Contagion is giving me faster reflexes and higher physical endurance. Each operation lasts a little longer than the last, because Contagion has to keep giving me blood transfusions. Where he gets the blood, I have no idea. After a couple of hours, the henchman carries me back to the upright chair. After hooking me back in, he leaves the room.

I quickly seize the opportunity and flex my fingers. I haven't used my powers since my abduction, which was more than a few weeks ago, so using them will most likely drain me more than usual. I glance at the door and listen for footsteps. Nothing fills the silence. Not even screams. Contagion must be on his break. I create a camcorder. The person in the room closest to me uses his wavelength abilities to carry the message to the nearest stream. I only have enough strength to broadcast for a few minutes at most, so I kept the prepared speech short and to the point. I just hope it reaches somebody who can help us. If not for me, then for one of the others. Nobody deserves this torture. Everybody will be watching the playoffs, so that channel will be the best choice. I hit the on button and begin my announcement.

"Listen, if anybody knows anybody that can help, _please_ let them know. This is Reality," I start, already out of breath. I can imagine what the witnesses are seeing. My appearance must surprise them. My face, hair, and arms are coated in blood. My mask and costume are torn and are also covered with my body fluids. The midnight blue of my top and the blood red of my cape turn even darker. The trauma of the surgery and my hazy mind make my voice sound cracked. My bloodshot eyes practically shout, "I'm freaking out! Save me!" I force myself to continue, "Tell them they're hiding us in a shack near the New York border. They're giving us other hero's powers to try to make the killing machine. They say they want a person with a strong enough mind, and they're experimenting with a bunch of different people. I have no idea what he does to the others here. They give me drugs and almost bleed me to death. I'm scared! Please, save me! Save us! Please, help-" I cut off before I finish. The strain becomes too much, and I faint.

Sounds of a fight make me wake up. The walls shake and the cart of tools falls over. Then the door is blasted off its hinges, crashing into the opposite wall. My brother, seeing me alive, rushes over to unbind my arms and legs. "Hey, Johnny," I whisper, feeling weaker by the minute.

Johnny wrestles with the bindings for a few seconds. "Don't worry, Nikki, we brought the Avengers. We called them after receiving a message from somebody who saw your message. Smart move, going live," he explains. "Hey, you!" Johnny suddenly calls out to Contagion, who is trying to sneak out of the shack. "Undo these straps!"

Contagion falters. "Torch, she must remain here. If you transport her, she will die," he wavers.

"Stop lying and do what I say!" Johnny commands, his eyes beginning to water. He forms a fireball with one hand and aims it at my operator. With the other he tightly grasps my bloody hand.

"Fine, fine!" he shouts, giving in. He yanks off the metal latches and bolts out the room. For once in his life Johnny actually was threatening. If I weren't so tired I would be laughing.

"Don't worry about him. Right now we need to get you home." Johnny carefully picks me up and walks out the door.

I lay my head against his warm chest. After weeks of constantly feeling cold, his warm temperature feels nice. I struggle to keep my eyes open. I know that if I close them, I will leave this existence-permanently. But I'm so tired…

The Avengers create a pathway outside for us. Some members I don't even know are there, carrying captives and looking concerned. Touching. Johnny carries me to a fancy black car parked nearby. He opens the back door and lays me down gently on the seat. "Just hold on, kiddo. Everything will be fine. Before you know it, you'll be back with your friends," he says while shutting the door.

Looking out the window, I see him burst into flames and fly above the car, protecting it from the Doombots. Whoever is driving the vehicle quickly jams the gas pedal, speeding away. I hope the rest made it out alive. I feel my head move, and I notice Wasp sitting on the other side of the seat. She rests my head on her lap, ignoring the fairly large bump created by her baby. She smiles at me and strokes my hair. "Jan, I …apologize. I should have been… more careful," I whimper.

"Shh, it's okay. You have nothing to apologize for. What Doom wants, he gets. We're taking you to the Mansion. Don't worry, you can make it," she assures me, though she sounds worried.

My vision turns fuzzy, and I squint to make out Jan's face. My brain turns completely numb. I struggle to form my last words. "What… about… the others?" I manage to get out.

"They got out. They're fine," Janet whispers, tears pooling in her eyes.

"Jan…tell everyone I'll…miss them. I'm…truly sorry." My heartbeat slows. The last thing I see is a tear falling out of my motherly teammate's eyes.

"Please, Nikki, you can't die, not now. A kid like you should live longer. Come on, Nikki, you're a fighter, you can make it. Don't die, Nikki, don't die," she cries.

Shortly after my eyes close the noises start to fade. The last thing I hear is Janet sobbing, her tears cascading onto my face. She feels for my pulse and discovers it is rapidly disappearing.

"Nikki, don't! Come on, Nikki! You can make it! Dammit, Nikki, LIVE!" she screams, her heart-wrenching sobs becoming louder with each passing second.

My heart finally beats for the last time. _I'm sorry, everybody,_ I think with the last of my strength. _I've fought as long and as hard as I can. I'm giving in. _All at once, everything stops, and the world becomes deathly quiet. I draw my last shaky breath. Funny. I didn't expect it to be peaceful. Going against everything Johnny and Sue taught me, I give in to the pain and move on.


	5. Revival

**Revival**

My eyes flutter open. I glance down at my hands in total disbelief. _Didn't I…die?_ I think, horrified. Contrary to what happened, I appear very much alive. I make a fist, flex my arm. Everything is working perfectly. The only difference is my pale, clammy skin and my shoulder-length hair. _This can't be heaven. I must be alive. But how? _I try to pinch my skin, but it is rock hard. Then I remember, _That's right, I forgot they gave me invulnerability. If I still have that power, then I must have all the others. _My costume is no longer Sue's favorite creation; it's tight black spandex. _The heck?_ Now my body is free of blood and I observe my surroundings. The walls and the floor are composed of bricks. Nothing covers the crudely cut rocks. I sit up from my sprawled position on the floor, trying to remember anything that can explain how and why I was revived. After a few minutes of racking my brain for anything that can help, though mainly it's just me trying to banish thoughts that aren't mine, I hear footsteps somewhere nearby. The bricks on the wall start to shift apart. I quickly stand up, prepared for whatever might be entering the room. The rocks completely separate and my arch-nemesis comes in. I flatten myself against the wall, literally, his presence terrifying me.

"Greetings, Reality. You seem to be in perfect health after your death. Good, we need you at full strength. And before you ask," he goes on before I can make my inquiry, "Unlike those other mediocre 'villains' I won't tell you what we will do or what we did to revive you. If I did, then I would not deserve my genius intellect."

Recovering from my terror, I prepare to pounce on him. Maybe if I can use my new mind-control abilities and force him to open the secret door…

"Do not bother using your new abilities on me, Reality. It will only end in failure," Dr. Doom warns me, as if he read my mind.

I stop, realizing my attempt would be fruitless. This man killed me once before, and he can kill me again. Did he say… death? I died? Then how is all this possible? I straighten my back, resuming a normal position. The scowl on my face remains. "Well, I can't use my new powers on you, so how about we go back to the originals?" I suggest, my hands glowing pale pink.

Doom reveals a machine from underneath his cape before I can make my move. He holds up the mechanism and aims one end at my face. "You won't be harming me at all today, my dear Nikki," he grins. "The only people you will be harming are your friends." The contraption starts to glow, and I zone out while staring at it. I become completely unaware of what's happening, and my brain shuts down.

o8o

Everything becomes clear. I blink a few times. Doom stands before me, his arms outstretched. "Master Doom," I say, bending down so my knees touch the floor. I look up expectantly, waiting for commands. The people he brought with him, now visible, do the same.

"Welcome, Reality. Now that you are completely loyal to me, I have a task for you. Your mission is to destroy the heroes that gave you your powers. They wanted to control you, use you for their own plans, but I saved you. It is up to you to subdue them, using any means necessary. You may leave immediately."

"Yes, Master Doom." I stand up as he gives orders to the men and women. I blast my way through the brick wall with an invisible force beam. Stepping outside, I take off into the air faster than the speed of sound. When I reach a street near a building with a sign that says Snow Valley Middle School, I stop. This place feels like an area where heroes often travel. Sitting on a bench outside the school, I wait for somebody to come by. Sure enough, Ms. Marvel flies past shortly after I take a seat. I hear the sound of something cutting through the air faster than a bird, so I glance up. _Ms. Marvel, not the ideal target, but she will have to do._ I take aim and fire a yellow energy blast. _These powers,_ I think, confused, _they feel…artificial._ Ignoring the feeling in my gut, I fire another blast at the woman. This time she looks down where the blast came from.

"Nikki? Is that you?" she inquires, hovering slightly above the frozen ground. She squints, as if she is trying to see past my long brown hair, my practical jumpsuit, and my emotionless red eyes.

"Hello, Carol." I force my voice to sound warm and friendly. Deception will work best in this situation.

"Nikki? I thought you died! Your funeral was last week. How are you alive?"

"I don't know, Carol. I thought I died too, but do I look dead to you?"

"No. But if you're alive, we have to let Johnny and Sue know. They'll be overjoyed."

"I don't think so." I mentally keep her hand frozen in place so she can't reach for her card.

"Nikki, you're acting strange. Are you sure you're all right?"

In response, I push Carol into the tennis courts with a force field. Not expecting the attack, she is easily sent flying through the air. I lower my hand, my work completed. One hero down, 300 to go. As I turn around, I hear Carol whisper into something.

"Guys, I need your help. Come to Snow Valley Middle School as soon as possible," she murmurs.

Realizing Ms. Marvel is still conscious, I run to the tennis courts in the blink of an eye. I dodge the pieces of the chain-link fence that are being thrown. For the first time, fear creeps into Ms. Marvel's features. She rockets into the air. I follow, easily keeping up with her. The fight has begun.

o8o

I look up; searching for the source of the noise that sounds like it came from an engine. Ms. Marvel sees me look away and blasts me through a wall of the school. I am unable to stop myself as I crash past rooms filled with teenagers. They stare at me as frightened looks cross their faces. Some scream, the air filled with their shrieks of terror. I finally come to a halt in a room with younger students, not quite teenagers, but close to it. The children nearby run to the other side of the room, trying their best to avoid me. However, two girls creep closer, a curious look on their faces.

"Nikki? Is that…you?" the brunette questions. She hesitantly takes another step forward.

All of a sudden, my mind changes, my very being switching. "Kati?" I ask, sounding both confused and terrified at the same time. _What…why was I fighting Ms. Marvel? _I think, remembering what I was doing a few seconds ago. "What happened?" Before either of the girls can answer Carol walks down the hallway. With no warning, my thoughts switch from puzzled to violent. "I'm not finished with you," I snarl. Lunging myself at her, I run her outside the building while repeatedly punching her upper body. Her feeble attempts at fighting back have no effect on my rock hard skin.

"Great, they're…here," Carol mumbles before she drifts into unconsciousness.

_Who's here?_ I wonder before I see a plane landing in a nearby field. Leaving Carol's limp body on the pavement, I rush to the fighter jet. It is filled with people. I recognize most of them as Avengers, while the rest belong to the Fantastic Four, X-Men, or no team at all. She must have alerted the Avengers, who then contacted the others. "This makes my job that much easier," I say to no one in particular.

One by one, everybody exits the plane. Some do it more hesitantly than others. At least thirty well-known heroes are there. Though I still have many left to exterminate, taking down the leaders will help. When there is nobody left in the plane, I growl, "You just brought all these people here to die. There's nothing you can do to stop me. Time to face facts: you're just silly humans. But I am more. I am the next step in human evolution. You don't stand a chance."

Sensing I am speaking to him, Captain America responds, "These people aren't here to die; they came out of concern for you. We all thought you were dead, but you've changed. We're here to help you, so let us."

Ignoring his false comment, I rush forward and grab the nearest person, which happens to be the mutant Storm. I lift her up in the air, her blows having no effect. She raises one hand and calls down a bolt of lightning, but it does me no harm. I toss her limp frame to one side, switching my attention to the others. Spotting a large group, I unleash a massive blast of energy. The sunlight makes it shimmer and shades of pink, yellow, and green illuminate the ground. The heroes are sent flying, some catching themselves while others crash into the building or onto the highway. Without blinking, I target Captain America and zoom towards him. I fly him high in the sky, keeping a firm grip around his neck.

"Nikki, this isn't you," he chokes out, trying to squirm out of my grasp.

_That determination won't last long;_ I smile to myself as fire creeps down my arm. Watching him burn for a few seconds, I release my grip of steel and fly closer to the ground. He falls, woozy and burning. Nothing can stop me now.

"Wait a sec," Baton blurts. "If she has super-speed, can fly, produce energy blasts, control fire at the same time…she must have all our abilities rolled into her. But who has the means to do it?"

"I think I can answer that one." A young, blond-haired man with a four on his uniform steps forward. "Dr. Doom has the money, knowledge, and motives to do it. Don't you see? He kidnapped Nikki because she's the youngest of us, and probably the most powerful. Somehow he gave her these powers, but she couldn't take it and called for help. She's smart enough to realize working together would bring better results. He must have brought her back and brainwashed her. The Nikki I know would never agree to this."

Something in me shifts at the sound of his voice, but I overlook it and resume fighting. The closest person is Baton. Yanking her close, I make my hand glow bright pink with kinetic energy and slightly tap her chest. Releasing her, a pink glow around her body brightens until it becomes almost blinding. With a confused look on her face, Baton shatters. What is left of her red and white costume is soaked with blood.

Completely unfazed by the dancers' death, I move on to Dynamite. "Don't even bother, young one," I laugh maliciously, her attempts to touch any part of my body amusing me. Though her ability is to make whatever she touches explode, it doesn't even tickle.

"You're only a little bit older than me," she says with a sad look on her young face. Accepting the inevitable, she stops resisting and lets me punch her through the building. She is lucky if she survives the blow. "Please, make this a challenge," I snicker. Still laughing, I swoop down and pull Cyclops towards me.

"Nikki, let us help," he sputters.

"I don't answer to Nikki. I am a mistress of Doom." I teleport high in the atmosphere and drop him, not caring much about the fact that someone can catch him. As I deal with Emma Frost, who puts up a much better fight, I overhear Cyclops and Captain America shouting out orders.

"Look, the only edge we have is experience," Cyclops calls out. "She may have all our powers, but she seems to prefer her own. Remember, she has none of our weaknesses, but we have a chance. Don't let her inside the school. There're kids in there."

"Johnny and Sue, try talking to her. Nikki is fighting the evil, but she needs help. Maybe hearing your voices will assist her," Captain America says to two blond-haired youths wearing matching blue costumes.

While they fight their way to me, I quickly deal with several more heroes. Spider-Man slams headfirst into a flagpole after I bash his and Riptide's heads together with an invisible force field. Hawkeye aims an arrow in my direction, and just as he releases his grip on the bowstring, I telekinetically bring Everglade over and use her as cover. The arrow pierces her skull, and her eyes shut for the last time. Lunar Eclipse tries to send me to another dimension, but I force her inside the portal. A blood-curling shriek rings through the air. Eclipse reappears in another portal, this time her lifeless body tumbling out and resting on a patch of grass. I continue murdering heroes, not caring about husbands and wives that are now widowed, parents losing their child, and children hoping in vain that their mother or father will come home alive.

"Nikki, I know you're in there," the woman tells me. "I know you can hear me. The _real_ you. You need to fight this. You're hurting your friends. The Nikki I know would rather die than betray her friends."

The man continues, "Look around, Nikki. Look at all the destruction. Doom wanted you to hurt us. You need to show him that you're not under his control. I love you Nikki, more than life itself." Tears start to run down his face. "Come on, Nikki, fight it. Where's the Nikki Storm I know?"

Tears leak out of my eyes. Hearing my beloved brother's voice brings back the part of me that can fight this. Finally, I break free of Doom's control. The evil part of me is beaten back by the part that knows the meaning of Johnny's words. Warm blood drips down my arms and off my fingers. I glance down in total shock. _What did I do?_ I question, moving my lips without making a sound. Then, all of a sudden, a wave of panic and disbelief washes over me. I look up at the battlefield.

Bodies litter the ground. Most are unconscious, but I sense no heartbeat from a few. With my heightened eyesight, I'm able to see those who are dead. "I…killed some of my friends!" I wail, bursting into wild, uncontrollable sobs. I sink to the ground, my face buried in my bloody hands. I don't care about the blood hurting my eyes. I don't care about anything. Caring won't bring them back.

Johnny walks over and pulls me upright. "There, there," he coos.

I bury my head in his shoulder. "Why?" I whimper.

Before Johnny can answer, an extremely powerful blast of energy and lightning hits my head. I have no idea where it came from, but it knocks me out cold.

"Tony! Thor! Why did you do that? She's fine!" Johnny yells as I crumple into his arms.


	6. Epilogue

Epilogue

And so, on March 12, 2012, Nikki Janice Storm attacked her fellow heroes, slaying some of them in the process. Two weeks later, beautiful funerals were held for the heroes Baton, Everglade, Riptide, Storm, Lunar Eclipse, and the others who gave their lives to help bring Nikki peace. The Human Torch, angered by Iron Man's and Thor's actions, hunted them down. Though he could not harm the immortal Thor, he made Iron Man pay. When finished, Mr. Fantastic and other brilliant scientists diagnosed Nikki. She had been put in a coma. That is the only thing they know for certain.

Mr. Fantastic believes the extra powers will wear off in time, before or after she awakens. Iron Man built a weapon just for her, and the stress of both the weapon and the shifting consciousness's grew too much. He does not know if and when she will wake up.

Though no one has realized it yet, Nikki is completely aware of her surroundings. She cannot make her body function, but she is conscious of her surroundings and her actions. She knows what she did, and is hoping Johnny decides to take her off life support. Until then, Nikki must live a guilty conscience. The shame is eating her alive. Only time will tell what happens.

A little over a decade ago a little girl clung to the well-to-do man's neck. The man, one of an evil crime lord's henchmen, could not resist the little girl's smile when he found her playing in an alley. She had been alone, nothing but a purring kitten keeping her company. The kitten ran away when it sensed the man's presence, but the girl kept drawing pictures on the dusty wall. He was tempted to walk away and leave her to starve, but he could not stop himself from glancing at her. She had short brown hair covering her head and deep, soul-searching liquid chocolate eyes. When she looked into his pale blue eyes, she beamed, the smile lighting up her dirty face. The smile was so sweet, so innocent; he could not leave her alone. He picked her up and held her close to his chest to protect her from the cold wind. "What's your name, little one?" he asked softly.

She stumbled over the word, the only comprehendible sound being, "Ni."

Her clear soprano voice shocked him, causing him to pause momentarily. This girl deserved a good home. Realizing she could not talk, he just held her close. He searched for a home housing a good family for the better part of an hour. Finally, he found the Storm household. Franklin Storm was a good man; he would take care of the child. He rushed up to the door, placed the child in front of the threshold, and rang the doorbell. He hid in a nearby bush, waiting to see what they would do with the child.

A young girl opened the door. She looked down when she saw no one was there. "Daddy, there's a little kid on the doorstep!" she cried, running back inside the house.

Another person appeared, this time a man sporting wispy hair and a bushy mustache. "Bring her in, Susan," he ordered the girl. Storm shut the door behind them.

The man watched the next events through a slightly open window. _Good, they took her,_ he thought gratefully.

"Dad, what is it?" a little boy called out, rushing into the living room. He almost knocked over the decorated Christmas tree resting in the corner.

"Relax, Johnny. Somebody left us an early Christmas present," Storm told his rambunctious son.

"Can we name her?" Johnny asked.

"How about Nikki, after mommy?" Susan suggested when her father shook his head in agreement. She took the little girl from her father's arms.

"Her middle name can be Janice, like grandma," Johnny offered.

"Nikki Janice, I like it," their father sighed. "That will be her name until we decide what to do with her. It suits her. All right, off to bed. I'll find a place for her to sleep. Don't you worry."

"Oh, I hope we keep her," Susan murmured as she went to her bedroom.

The man came out from his hiding place, walking out to the sidewalk. He knew he would be punished for his tardiness, but his heart swelled when he thought about his good deed. No punishment could make his happiness dwindle, knowing that he had given a child a home.


End file.
